


A Stormy Situation

by Anjion



Category: Starlight Express - Phillips/Stilgoe/Webber
Genre: I kinda feel like it's a lazy ending but I like it, I may add on a little more as a (much shorter) bonus chapter, This is a working train line. The Nationals only visit for the Championship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:29:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26237167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anjion/pseuds/Anjion
Summary: Electra is sick and goes out on his own. But what happens when he gets caught in a storm?
Relationships: Components/Electra (Starlight Express), Dinah/Greaseball (Starlight Express), Pearl/Rusty (Starlight Express)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	1. Caught in the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on board with the theory that CB is a converted boxcar and is more wood than metal. Also, despite this being Broadway/US Tour CB, I like to think he still has a radio.
> 
> Also also, Control doesn't exist in my Starlight universe. These are working trains rather than toys.

**CAST:**

**Greg Mowry (with long hair) – Rusty**

**Todd Lester/Jeremy Kocal – CB**

**Jeffrey Socia/Dustin Dubreuil/John Partridge – Electra**

**Greaseball is the typical Elvis impersonator, Dinah is brunette, Pearl has the pink hair, Gremlin is also brunette and has twin bunches on the top of her head. For everyone else, think Broadway 1989.**

* * *

Electra was _not_ feeling well at all. He hadn't felt very good all morning but now, as he zoomed homeward through the pouring rain, he was feeling thoroughly miserable. His head was pounding, making him wince every time the thunder boomed overhead, and each bolt of lightning caused little white spots to appear in his vision, not to mention the uncomfortable prickling sensation all over his body that intensified with every flash.

He was starting to feel dizzy and disorientated. He wasn't certain if he was heading in the right direction for the yard anymore, and the sheeting downpour wasn't helping in the slightest. By this point, he couldn't even remember why he'd come up on the hill today in the first place. His mind was fuzzy and it was taking all his concentration simply to remain on the track, with the only thoughts in his head being how ill he felt and how much he wanted to get home and lie down somewhere quiet. But it seemed that the world was currently very much against him and was determined to hinder his progress, and somewhere, someone was frantically calling his name, over and over and over...

This last part didn't bother Electra as much as it should have. He was used to hearing people chanting his name – heck, he was so popular that in some parts of the world, his fans _sang_ his name in 7/8 time, quite the musical feat – but not even he was vain enough to think that somebody would stand out in a storm on a remote hill on the off chance of him rolling by. Besides, his head hurt too much and he didn't want to think about it, so he put it down to his imagination and did his best to just tune it out and instead focus on getting back to the yard.

Another bolt of lightning split the sky, striking the ground somewhere to his right. Electra jumped, startled, and then shuddered as the excess energy made his already overloaded systems crackle. He thought he heard a faint cry of pain from somewhere, and was again momentarily confused. Had that been him? He wasn't sure; he didn't remember making any sound. But there didn't seem to be anyone else around, nor could he see any animals nearby. Maybe it was just his groggy brain playing tricks on him...

He could feel the water running down his body as he flew onward, moving forward more by instinct than anything else due to the amount of rain bashing his face and hampering his vision. This was far from being his first time outside in such weather, especially since he had taken up passenger duties at the yard to balance out his currently uncertain racing career, but he still found the persistent wetness to be extremely unpleasant. He was just glad that he was at least waterproof—

And then Electra's world exploded. A hot, searing pain shot up from between his shoulder blades and spread through to the rest of his body, sending sparks flying in all directions and throwing him forwards and sideways at the same time. Unfortunately, he landed again at the top of a steep incline and before he could do anything about it, he was rolling, falling, acutely feeling every tiny scrape and bump he encountered on the way down, until he finally came to an abrupt halt against a large knot of tightly tangled greenery that knocked the wind out of him, and everything went black.

000000000000000000000000000000

It was some time later when Electra woke up again, letting out a low, drawn-out groan as he slowly came to. His body felt like someone had gone to town on his metalwork with a hammer, his head was throbbing like someone was using it as a drum, and his whole being was buzzing with electricity, even more so than usual. For a moment, he just lay still, listening to the sound of the still falling rain and idly wondering if there would be another bolt of lightning ready to blast him again if he dared to move. But he could no longer feel the fizzing energy in the atmosphere and, apart from the pitter-patter of the rain, there was no sound, suggesting that the storm had finally dissipated.

He lay there for a moment longer, before deciding that he didn't want to remain in the wet and that it was time to start moving. He pulled his arms under his chest and pushed himself up onto his elbows, giving another groan as he did so and hissing through his teeth as something within him popped, stinging him.

At this point, he paused to consider his situation. He still felt quite sick and he hurt all over, but at least he'd regained his senses now and could once again think straight. He was fairly sure there had been no mention of there being any danger of a thunderstorm on the airwaves this morning – Joule hated inclement weather and had made a habit of checking the forecast as soon as she woke up every day – but he couldn't be certain. He may have been the flashiest, most gorgeous engine around (and didn't he know it!), but he also had a tendency to forget things that didn't pertain to or weren't important to him.

He _did_ , however, remember slinking quietly away from his components and the rest of the trains, hoping to find some reprieve from his sickly misery on his favourite patch of hill about 30 minutes away from the yard, where he liked to sit and sparkle in the sun. Indeed, the weather had been glorious right up until the moment the heavens tore asunder and the sky threw a massive tantrum. (He was glad that he'd left his mohawk helmet behind. He only really wore it for special occasions anyway, but it most certainly would have sagged in the rain and been plastered round his face had he been wearing it now.)

He also vaguely remembered CB rolling quietly up behind him, insisting on coming along too and attaching himself to Electra's couplings like a small, red limpet. Electra hadn't bothered to stop him, knowing the caboose wouldn't have listened–

Electra broke off mid-thought, groaning as the realisation hit him; a realisation that made the situation a whole lot worse. He hadn't been alone. CB had been with him! It had been _him_ frantically calling Electra's name. The cry that Electra had heard had most likely been him too! And the reason he hadn't _seen_ him in his delirium was because CB had been _right_ _behind_ him... So where was he now? What had happened to him when the lightning struck?

The engine pushed himself to his feet as quickly as he could, hissing, grunting and occasionally even whimpering as his body protested this treatment. He forced himself to ignore the creaking of his abused joints as he finally managed to straighten up, and immediately started to scan the surrounding hillside for any sign of the missing youngster. He'd never been overly fond of the boy, especially since the crash at the races last year (although he'd later come to accept that he himself had been more at fault for that particular crash, since it had been he who had zapped Greaseball and sent the three of them careening out of control), but neither did he want to find him hurt. Especially not right now. 

He continued limping down the hill, casting his eyes about for any sign of anything red. He tried calling CB's name a couple of times but the effort made his head spin, so he was forced to give that up. He was a little surprised that he couldn't see him nearby, considering he had been at Electra's back when the engine had been hit, but he didn't take the time to dwell on it, instead focusing on finding him.

And then, as he rounded a small bend in the bank, he spotted him down below him, sprawled on his stomach out in the open. He looked so small and helpless against the vast expanse of unkempt grass, and worst of all, he wasn't moving...

Electra groaned again, not relishing the intense sense of dread that had settled in his stomach, making him feel sicker than ever. How had today gone so wrong so quickly? All he'd wanted was a bit of peace and quiet away from prying (and concerned) eyes, and instead he'd ended up soaking wet and in pain, and with a potentially injured caboose to take care of into the bargain.

He let himself slide down the rest of the bank, somehow managing to stay on his feet, and picked his way across to the boy, crouching down beside him and quickly looking him over. Apart from a few superficial scratches and scrapes from his tumble down the bank, he looked fine, for which Electra was thankful, but that was only the back of him. He reached out a hand to roll him over and yelped when a sharp jolt of electricity sparked off the small body, connecting solidly with his fingers. Normally, such a thing wouldn't have bothered the electric, with the charge being absorbed painlessly into his systems, but in his current overcharged and sensitive state, the transfer felt like someone sticking a needle into his digits. Thankfully, he was spared a second shock when he hesitantly put his hand to CB's shoulder a second time, and so he quickly and carefully rolled him over onto his back.

His heart sank. While CB's back was largely unscathed, his front was not. There were great scorch marks across much of his wooden frame, and areas of his red paint had blistered pretty badly, completely flaked off in places. A large split ran right across his chest; not deep enough to be dangerous but still enough to be concerning. One of his kneepads was cracked, and then there were the countless scratches and dents that covered his body. His hands, which had of course been clinging to Electra's couplings at the time of the strike, and up his forearms were also pretty badly burned, causing the electric to wince in sympathy. And this was just what he could see. Who knew what other damage had been done?

But what worried him the most was the fact that CB was completely unresponsive. He _was_ breathing – Electra had already checked that – but none of Electra's attempts to wake him were getting through. Electra wasn't particularly surprised – he had been _built_ to be able to conduct electricity and even _he_ had been knocked out by the energy surge – but CB didn't have the circuits necessary to deal with the electrical fallout and his lack of response was not a good sign.

The engine sat back for a moment, trying to think of what to do next. What he really wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep, to rest his pounding head, but with the rain still falling heavily and an unconscious, injured youngster in front of him, he knew that that wasn't really an option. He briefly considered trying to use the radio that was installed inside CB's hat, but he quickly dropped that thought when he realised that a), he didn't know how to use it and b), it had probably been scrambled in the strike. (He knew about this second possibility because he had accidentally shocked CB a couple of months ago, making his hair stand on end and causing the aforementioned radio to go berserk. And that had been a _gentle_ shock.) He _had_ already tried using his mental connection with his components, but that hadn't worked either even after several attempts, leaving him unable to contact anyone.

His decision was eventually made for him when he felt the familiar fizz return to the air, and he looked up to see the storm clouds returning. Great. Just what he needed. Another round of abuse from nature itself. Well, he wanted to get home before that happened.

Heaving a sigh that quickly became another pained moan, he pushed himself up into a half-kneeling position next to the fallen caboose. Since the boy clearly wasn't going to wake up, Electra was going to have to carry him. He wasn't at all impressed by this turn of events, but he wasn't heartless enough to just leave him behind either. And besides, the other trains would probably never forgive him if he returned to the yard without him. So he gathered him carefully into his arms and, making sure he had a firm hold, struggled to his feet. He was glad that CB was so small because it also meant he was fairly light and easy to carry. Even as it was, in his weakened state, the electric could easily feel the extra weight, and he knew that he'd never have been able to manage if it had been anyone else in the grass before him.

He looked around him, trying to work out which way to go. He had lost his sense of direction some time before the strike and now wasn't sure where he was, and he couldn't make out any features of the soggy landscape that he was certain he recognised. He did, however, know that he went upwards from the yard to reach his hill, so logically he would need to go down to get back. Luckily, there was a track nearby that Electra thought went in near enough the right direction – away from the hill and downwards – and so he set out towards it with tired determination. He stumbled a little as the ground beneath his wheels went from clumpy to smooth, but he managed to quickly regain his balance and steady himself. He took a deep breath in an attempt to clear his aching head, shifted the limp caboose in his arms into a more comfortable position, and then, hoping fervently that this would take him home, set off down the tracks as fast as his wheels could take him.

* * *

Back at the yard, everyone was frantic. There had been only a very short interval between the sudden thunderstorm and the realisation that Electra and CB were missing, and everyone was beside themselves with worry. Gremlin and Rusty had both wanted to go out immediately to look for them, but Poppa and Belle had insisted that there was no sense in risking another two engines getting hurt in the storm.

Electra's components had tried contacting their master through their special connection, but they were unsuccessful (due to the amount of electricity in the air overriding his systems, Wrench suspected), and there was now a silent conversation passing between Joule, Volta and Purse as they stood together in a little cluster. The gentle-hearted Dustin was sobbing in the corner, both afraid of the storm and worried about the missing trains, with Ashley sat next to him, trying to calm him down. Flat-Top was standing guard over them both, snapping at anyone who got too close. Dinah, who had been the first to notice CB's absence, was pressed hard against Greaseball's side as the diesel tried to work out a rescue plan with Poppa, Krupp and Wrench. Greaseball had his arm around her, comforting her while making sure she was included in the discussion, a small gesture but one that Dinah was desperately clinging to as if her friends' lives depended on it. Gremlin was sat with her nose pressed against the window that faced the exit to the yard, sitting so uncharacteristically still that the casual viewer might have mistaken her for a statue, if not for the occasional puff of steam that rose from her chimney. The Rockies had retreated to the back of the main hangar and were now engaged in a 'friendly' sparring match with Greaseball's diesel minions in order to release their nervous energy, and Pearl and Buffy were trying to calm the agitated Rusty, who really just wanted to be out looking for the absentees. (He had become firm friends with CB since the caboose had finally realised the error of his ways and been reformed, even if he was still extremely mischievous, and even Electra had started being civil to him, going so far as admitting that Rusty "wasn't bad".)

Even Bolt and Axle, the Trax twins, were here, since the storm had forced them to abandon their track maintenance.

There was a sudden loud _crack_ of thunder from outside, causing everyone in the hangar to jump violently and eliciting shrieks from some of the more nervous carriages. Greaseball rolled across to the door and stuck his head out, coming back seconds later to confirm the return of the storm with a grim and mildly irritated expression. It was no secret that absolutely no love was lost between Electra and Greaseball (although they had come to an uneasy truce at the request of the elderly steamer), but being out in this weather was not something the diesel would wish on anyone. Not to mention that CB was out there too...

Poppa gave a dismayed groan and sank wearily down onto a bench with his head in his hands, looking defeated. He had hoped that the storm had finally abated and that they would soon have been able to go and search for the missing trains, but he simply couldn't risk anyone else in this weather. Belle quickly sat next to him and laid a gentle arm on his shoulder, silently trying to comfort him as Krupp and Wrench quietly drifted away to join their fellows. Dinah started to cry helplessly, prompting Greaseball to pull her into a firm hug. Dinah didn't cry easily (and he still felt guilty for having reduced her to tears last year just because she objected to his cheating), so it meant that she was really upset when she did, and the diesel could do nothing except hold her close.

Meanwhile, Rusty had finally broken away from Buffy and Pearl and was now skating around in little circles, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering furiously to himself. It would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so bad, what with his rhythmic chugging and the cloud of steam forming over his head. But as it was, his distress was evident and nobody laughed. Not even Flat-Top, who usually delighted in teasing the young steamer. Having been shocked into silence by the sudden thunder clap, he had instead taken a seat beside his still-sobbing "brother" and was now slumped over, playing gloomily with his pet brick and looking decidedly uncomfortable.

An uneasy silence fell over the building, broken only by Dustin and Dinah's quiet crying and Rusty's clicking wheels. Nobody knew what to say or do, and nothing they could have done would have stopped the storm anyway. The only choice they had was to wait it out and hope that their caboose and electric engine would make it back unharmed...

And then Gremlin suddenly shifted in her chair, pushing herself bolt upright with such force that she knocked over a second chair, which fell with a clatter and startled everyone, drawing the attention of the whole room. The young engine didn't seem to notice the eyes upon her, though, instead focusing intently on something outside.

Poppa recovered from his fright first. "What is it, Gremlin?", he asked, barely daring to hope.

She didn't respond for a moment, and everyone froze in anticipation, their gaze never leaving her tensed form.

And then she exploded in unsuppressed excitement.

"Electra! IT'S ELECTRA!"

00000000000000000000000000000

Electra felt completely numb as he rolled slowly into the yard, now propelled by nothing but gravity. He was completely spent, all energy gone, the only things keeping him going being the need to get home and the small creature in his arms. It had been a difficult journey, with his condition deteriorating at an alarming rate and CB getting heavier and heavier by the second. How he hadn't dropped him yet, the engine would never know.

He eventually felt himself come to a gentle stop, though he wasn't sure if he'd stopped on his own or whether someone had guided him to a stop. But either way, he was no longer moving. His legs were shaking and, if he had been in any condition to think, he'd have been wondering how he hadn't fallen over yet. As it was, though, he barely noticed when his arrival caused a flurry of concerned activity that made him feel dizzy just from the sound of people rushing about. He could hear them, could hear people calling his name, asking him what had happened, could feel the gentle pressure as someone checked over the boy in his arms and then the release of weight as someone took CB from him, but he couldn't focus on anything, couldn't focus on the voices. He just wanted to lie down, to sleep, his head hurt so much...

As he stood there, he started to feel incredibly heavy, but like he was floating at the same time. He could feel his body starting to relax, and his vision was slowly growing blurry. The noises around him were gradually disappearing as the feeling intensified, and his mind was beginning to feel blank and empty. He allowed himself to give in to the gentle pull that was beckoning him downwards and then, gently and without ceremony, Electra collapsed.


	2. Recovery

Wrench was looking forward to a well-deserved nap once she had finished checking over her second patient, who was currently out cold in her bed. She had just spent four whole hours tackling the repairs the electric engine had required, and before that, she had spent a further four hours tending to the injured caboose, who now lay next door in the official repair room.

While the small brake car had clearly needed far more urgent and _immediate_ attention, it had been a fairly easy job to sort him out. In contrast, it had surprised even Wrench to discover just how much work it had taken to fix her electric. There had been a gash between his shoulder blades where the lightning had struck him, allowing excessive amounts of water into his systems and further damaging his already frazzled circuits, and it had taken a lot of time and patience to dry them out and restore or replace them. His main computer had gone on the fritz – most likely due to all the extra electricity running through his system – and then there had been all the external damage from the fall.

All in all, it was little wonder he had passed out, and no small miracle that he had made it home on his own, while carrying another train no less.

Finally satisfied by her ministrations, Wrench straightened up and had just started to scoot across to the other side of the room, when she was startled by a voice from behind her.

"Wrench?"

The repair truck looked up at the soft call, annoyed that she had been taken unawares, to see Gremlin standing sheepishly in the doorway, twiddling her thumbs. Wrench, who heartily disliked being disturbed while she was working and especially not by a non-electric, found it very difficult to keep the displeasure out of her voice when she responded.

"Yes? What is it?"

If Gremlin noticed the clipped tone, she didn't show it, instead letting her eyes stray to the still figure in the bed.

"Is he ok?"

Wrench regarded the child for a moment, noting her uncertain expression; one quite unusual for the normally spirited youngster. She then looked back down at her master, also taking note of just how vulnerable and innocent he currently appeared, devoid of his usual swagger and smirk. He looked...lost, almost, and if Wrench didn't know him better, she'd probably have concluded that the confidence that he normally exuded was just a front to hide his insecurities. That certainly _wasn't_ the case, of course – Wrench didn't think that Electra even knew what 'insecure' meant – but seeing him here, injured and ill, completely unaware of her presence and, for once, not trying to dazzle anyone, almost brought tears to her eyes.

It took her a few seconds to remember about the other person in the room, and she lifted her head to see Gremlin watching her with an expression that the repair truck couldn't quite gauge. She quickly set her own face back into an unreadable mask, and for a moment, the steamer's blue eyes held onto her own brown ones, neither side flinching. Then the girl dropped her gaze back to the bed, looking suddenly embarrassed, and Wrench was mildly alarmed to feel a pang of guilt within her conscience. She sighed, relenting, deciding that it wouldn't hurt to indulge the child this once.

"He will be fine," she said softly, turning away from Gremlin so that she wouldn't see the fond expression on her sharp features. She gently laid a hand on Electra's shoulder as she looked down at him, allowing herself a moment of pride that this was _her_ engine, that it was _her_ job to keep him safe. (Well, Krupp was his bodyguard, sure, but it was _she_ who was responsible for caring for him and keeping him alive.)

"Can I sit with him?"

This one surprised Wrench and she froze, her hand now resting on the side of Electra's face. She knew that the young steamer had self-professed to being Electra's "biggest fan", but she had thought that this was just something that Gremlin said to keep herself amused. And yet here she was, hovering in the doorway of Wrench's personal shed, watching Wrench with that unreadable expression again, her eyes shining with something that Wrench didn't understand but which made her suspicious.

"I'd have thought you'd rather be spending the time with CB?" she said cautiously as she turned round, frowning slightly.

"I've already been to see him," Gremlin responded, seeming a bit uncomfortable, "but he's still out too, and besides, he has Dinah and Rusty and all the others to keep him company..."

" _And Electra has Purse and Krupp and Joule and Volta and myself!"_ Wrench nearly retorted, momentarily insulted by what the child seemed to be insinuating. But she stopped herself when she realised what Gremlin actually meant. Yes, the flashy electric had his entourage, of course he did. They were a unit; they couldn't manage without him, he couldn't manage without them. But what Electra _didn't_ have so many of were _friends_. CB, in comparison, had quite a few friends, all of whom had flocked to his bedside as soon as Wrench had allowed them to.

Had Gremlin come to try and be a friend to the electric engine? She was a fan, certainly; that much was obvious – but a friend? Could it really be that she had (temporarily) put aside her own family to come and offer some kindness to the unfortunate racer? Had he really made that much of an impact on her?

The corners of Wrench's mouth twitched as she once again gave the girl an appraising look. Gremlin was actively avoiding her gaze now, whilst simultaneously affecting a convincing rabbit-in-the-headlights expression, and Wrench couldn't help but be just a little amused by her discomfort.

And then, at last, she made her decision.

"If he moves or shows any signs of waking, you come and fetch me at once, is that understood?" she said in a brisk and authoritative tone, uncrossing her arms and rolling across to the nearby table to gather up her things. Gremlin looked up at her in surprise.

"You mean...?"

"Yes, Gremlin, I do mean," Wrench confirmed, keeping herself professional even as a happy smile grew across the youngster's face. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from the girl's shoulders once she was given permission to be there, and all the nervousness melted away into barely suppressed excitement. Wrench continued to look at her sternly, refusing to let the steamer's infectious joy get to her. "Did you hear what I just said?"

"Call you if he moves or starts to wake up, yes ma'am!" Gremlin repeated softly, as if she was afraid this would turn out to be a dream if she spoke too loudly. Wrench looked into her eyes for a moment longer, as if reassuring herself of the girl's sincerity, before finally giving her a curt nod.

"Go on then."

At once, Gremlin crossed swiftly to the bed, climbing into the chair by the side of it and settling down. For a moment, she just sat there quietly, seeming a little awkward all of a sudden, as if she hadn't thought this far ahead and now wasn't quite sure what to do next. And then she started talking.

"Hey Electra..." she blurted out in a semi-quiet whisper. "I just thought you might like some company..."

Wrench left her to it.

* * *

Electra gave a deep sigh of satisfaction as he stepped out of Wrench's shed and into the morning sunlight for the first time in days. It had taken him a while to recover from the aftermath of the strike, which on its own wouldn't have bothered him much, but which had become quite bad coupled with the sickness he had caught, along with all the water damage.

Now, as he stood stretching his limbs and basking in the heat, he felt like a caged bird that had finally been released to fly free. He turned to check his appearance one last time in one of the immaculately clean windows of Wrench's shed, pausing to smirk cheekily at the repair truck who was glaring at him, unimpressed, from within. He saluted at her, then straightened up and turned his back, taking in a refreshing breath of air and exhaling slowly. He had _hated_ being cooped up in bed for so long, even though it had meant extra attention from his components. He looked around him, deciding which direction to go, and then he headed towards the centre of the yard.

When he got there, he was rather surprised to find most of the trucks and carriages engaged in a spirited game of Tag. He felt a flush of smugness when he spotted CB in the middle, easily identifiable with his bright red panelling. Even from here, Electra could see that the caboose had had a fresh coat of paint, and there was no sign of the split on his chest, leaving him looking as good as new. His arms were wrapped up to the elbows in some sort of strange black gauze, as was his right knee, but this didn't seem to be bothering him as he ducked under a swipe from Flat-Top and came up laughing, his loud giggling ringing through the air.

He thought he spotted Gremlin too, chasing enthusiastically after a fleeing Rusty, but both trains were going too fast for him to be sure.

He stood there for a while, trying to decide the best way to make his presence known. Before he could actually do anything, however, there was a loud squeal followed by someone excitedly screeching his name, and he looked up to see Gremlin rocketing towards him as fast as her skates would carry her. Electra panicked, wanting nothing more than to get out of her path lest she dent his dazzling plating, but found himself unable to move – a deer in the headlights – as the steamer advanced, a look of absolute delight on her painted face. And then she connected, wrapping her arms around his middle and gazing up at him in cheeky admiration. Electra was too shocked to react and just stared back at her, completely at a loss as to what he was supposed to do now. Gremlin didn't seem to mind his lack of reaction, though, and just deepened the hug for a little longer, before letting him go and scooting a few steps away to accost the suitably distracted Rusty instead. He watched her go, utterly floored.

But before he could process what had just happened, he felt someone else throw their arms around him with much enthusiasm, and he looked down to see that Gremlin had been replaced by a grinning CB. He was sporting almost exactly the same expression of admiration that Gremlin had worn, but Electra could clearly see the spark of mischief in the caboose's blue eyes, and his shock turned into a look of disdain.

"CB, I swear, if you do not let go of me right now, I will shock you into next week," he said calmly, fixing the caboose with a warning stare. But CB, being CB, was completely unperturbed and tightened his grip instead, somehow managing to look both angelic _and_ like the very spawn of the devil at the same time with his wide, innocent eyes and his stretched, red smile.

Electra's face sank into a mildly bemused frown at CB's determination to hold on, and from there into a fierce scowl when he heard at least three people starting to laugh. Feeling more than a little flustered but desperately trying to hide it, he glared down at CB with a look that would have killed him if looks could, and started trying to shove him away. Still the caboose clung, and Electra started to growl with frustration. He knew CB was just doing this to irritate him, as was his way, but he couldn't believe it was actually working!

He was just beginning to wonder if it would be possible to shock the smaller car into letting go without the other trains knowing, when he felt a tug, and he looked over CB's head to see a thoroughly amused Gremlin pulling on CB's couplers.

"Come on CB!" she giggled merrily, putting all her weight behind the action. Electra scowled at her as he continued to push against the red fiend still wrapped around him, but this just made Gremlin laugh more. CB resisted their efforts just a little longer, but he did eventually let go, grinning all the while and throwing his head back in triumph as he suddenly turned on the slightly larger steamer behind him, causing her to shriek with glee and go zooming back across the yard with him hot on her tail.

Electra glowered after them, dramatically adjusting himself in an attempt to hide his bruised pride. He huffed and turned back to the other trains, only to see that they were beginning to disperse now that the drama was over.

For the third time that morning, he once again found himself frozen in shock. He had planned to come down here and make a big entrance, maybe do a few light tricks for his captive audience, and then sweep gracefully away with the morning sun reflecting off his dazzling body. And instead, he was stood here, with no idea what to do as he lost his audience before he'd even begun.

Gremlin and the four coaches waved to him as they passed by, on their way to work on the mainline. Ashley even tipped him a cheeky wink just before she disappeared around the corner, but Electra didn't respond. Even Greaseball paused to give him an amiable clap on the shoulder as he headed towards the nearby quarry, where he worked when the humans didn't need him.

"Better luck next time, Sparkplug!" he said cheerfully, in a voice somewhere between mocking and genuinely friendly. (Electra winced at the nickname. He _hated_ being called Sparkplug, and Greaseball knew it, but since Electra also used insulting nicknames for the diesel, he knew that he couldn't really complain.) Then the diesel skated away, tugging the freight trucks behind him. Electra noticed that CB was not part of Greaseball's team today, which was a little odd, but he didn't really care either way.

He still didn't move when Poppa rolled up behind him, an amused chuckle on his lips. "They're all very pleased to see you back on your feet, you know," he said softly, his eyes twinkling. He chuckled again when he didn't get any response from the seemingly dazed electric, and reached up to put a hand on his shoulder. "It's good to have you back, son," he said fondly as he skated away.

Electra did react to this, surprised, bending his head to look at the spot where Poppa's hand had been moments before. It was common knowledge that Poppa didn't think much of engines not powered by steam – after all, the elderly steamer frequently proclaimed that steam power was superior. And he had also been a little disappointed that neither Greaseball nor Electra had taken him up on his offer to convert them – and so to hear him essentially admit that Electra had been missed, was not something that Electra had been expecting. He turned to look in the direction that Poppa had taken, but the other engine had long gone, leaving Electra alone with his thoughts.

It was only when he sensed the arrival of his components via his mental link, that Electra finally pulled himself together with a sigh and recovered his composure. He would throttle the caboose later, he decided, but right now, it was time to go to work on the passenger line. He waited for his components to hitch up behind him, gave a haughty shake of his head, and sped away.

000000000000000000000000

The last thing Electra expected to see as he rolled back into the yard after a hard day's work, was the small figure of CB sitting atop a barrel outside his shed, swinging his legs and humming cheerfully to himself. He looked up as Electra approached, and called out a greeting, pulling off a neat salute as he did. He smiled widely, putting Electra in mind of a sweet but demonic cherub, and sending a shiver through his circuits. The engine narrowed his eyes wearily, wondering if he should follow up his promise to strangle the little creature now or whether to wait and do it in the morning when he'd have more strength. In the end, he decided that it probably wasn't worth it at all, since the irritating little truck would most likely come back to torment him for all eternity if he did.

"What do you want?" he asked flatly, not even deigning to look at him anymore.

"What, am I not allowed to come say hi to my favourite electric engine?" said CB innocently, not even trying to hide the enormous smirk he was now sporting. Electra fixed him with an unimpressed stare which didn't faze the caboose in the slightest, although he was the first to look away.

Electra sighed, wishing the caboose would just go away so that he could go to bed. He still wasn't used to working on the passenger line – he had been built for _racing,_ after all – and in spite of all the awe his beautiful form attracted, he had actually found all the attention quite exhausting after a while.

CB, having realised that he wasn't currently the centre of attention, had resumed his humming, and Electra only just managed to resist the temptation to throw out his hand and knock him off the barrel on which he sat. He wondered, not for the first time, how much of the caboose's irritating behaviour was deliberate and how much was just personality, and quickly decided that he really didn't care. CB annoyed him, whether he meant to or not.

"CB," he said, making no attempt to keep the tired growl out of his voice, "why are you here?"

"Well, apparently I owe you my life after the storm, so I figured I'd better come over here and say thanks!" the boy replied brightly, if a little too quickly, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal.

Electra froze, eyes widening. He had _not_ been expecting to hear that, especially not from CB. He turned to stare at the brake truck who, while still smiling, was resolutely refusing to look in his direction and was instead scratching furiously at the edge of the black stuff adorning his arms. He was definitely uncomfortable and was doing a bad job of hiding it, and if Electra had been any more awake, he'd have enjoyed every second. But he was tired and really not in the mood.

"I could hardly have just left you lying there," he said, matter-of-factly. "Besides, the rest of the yard wouldn't have been happy."

"Yeah, well."

"Why did you come, anyway? You didn't have to."

CB shrugged again. "I could tell something was up with you. So I came to keep an eye. You know Gremlin would've been very upset if something had happened to you."

Electra didn't know how to respond. It was true, he knew how fond Gremlin was of him. He was quite fond of her too, though he'd rather lose a hundred consecutive races than admit it. But he also had the strangest suspicion that CB hadn't told him the whole truth. The small truck had become very protective of his yard mates after the events of the crash and his subsequent reformation, and Electra was suddenly left wondering if maybe that applied to himself too. After all, he _was_ a member of this yard now...

He frowned, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he tried to find some words, not sure how to react to the possibility that CB considered him part of the team, but he was saved from having to choose any when the caboose spoke up again, completely distracting him. 

"Speaking of Gremlin, did you know she's got your hat again?"

And just like that, the uncertainty disappeared.

"It's a _helmet,_ not a hat!" Electra retorted, bristling, before calming down again. "Yes, I am aware. I saw her prancing through the yard with it when I got back. It would seem that when it comes to my ceremonial headgear, she is worse than even _you_." He looked pointedly at CB who immediately pulled his best puppy-dog face and mimed " _Who, me?"_ , acting offended.

Electra ignored him and turned back to his door, hoping the caboose would take the hint and leave, but the smaller vehicle showed no such signs. He was looking off into the distance, still scratching at his elbows, absently swinging his legs again and for once, genuinely appearing as innocent as he had pretended to be for so long.

Electra watched him for a moment, quickly finding himself staring at the strange material around CB's arms. He'd never seen anything like it before, and he'd known Wrench all his life. It had a weird dull sheen to it, and the way it both did and didn't catch the light was almost hypnotising... He quickly shook his head. He was too tired for this. But now he was curious.

"What is that stuff?" he asked, instantly cursing himself inwardly when he realised that he could have just asked Wrench later. But it was too late now. He had asked and CB had heard him.

"What, this?" He held up his arms for the electric to see, taking immediate advantage of this new distraction. "It's waterproofing."

"Waterproofing?"

"Yeah, to keep the glue and varnish protected until it dries properly."

"Glue?" Electra echoed, feeling very confused. He couldn't figure out how _glue_ could factor into train repairs. When Wrench had to fix _him_ , she usually used a welding gun, not glue. So why would she...? "Varnish?"

"Electra. I'm made mostly of wood. That lightning strike messed up my arms and Wrench had to use glue to fix them up. My knee too. Then she had to put all the varnish back on. Without varnish, I'm not waterproof."

 _Oh._ Now Electra felt stupid. Of _course_ his repair truck would have used glue and varnish to mend a wooden truck. Welding didn't work on wood, and although CB did have metal in him, it made sense that glue would be used as well. 

But he was not prepared to admit to his ignorance, and so he simply scowled at the grinning boy instead. 

"Well, _excuse_ me for being constructed of a far superior material," he sneered defensively, earning a snort of laughter from the smaller vehicle. He crossed his arms and continued to glare, but CB had turned away and was looking down at his hands.

"I'm not allowed to work until Wrench says it can come off," he said suddenly, in little more than a somewhat forlorn whisper. Despite everything, Electra felt a twinge of sympathy for the youngster, as he too knew what it was to be unable to do what one was built for, even if it was only temporary. 

"That would explain why you weren't on Greaseball's team this morning," he said as he examined his nails, trying to communicate a little understanding without actually saying it. It seemed to work, because the caboose responded with a small "yeah".

Silence continued for maybe five seconds longer, and then the humming started again. Electra looked up again to find CB staring at the sky, legs jiggling as they dangled. 

And at last, Electra could take no more.

"Are you going to sit there all night?" he snapped, trying so hard to keep his temper as his patience ran out. Oh, how he wanted to pick him up and throw him–

"Nah, I'm going in a minute. I have some things to do."

"Good. Then go."

"Awww Electra, you mean you don't want me around?" the caboose teased, fixing the electric with a wicked grin.

That did it. Electra saw red. Figuratively and literally. He was going to strangle that little wretch if it was the last thing he did, and he lunged. Quick as a flash, CB leapt down from the barrel and bolted, laughing gleefully as he went. Electra watched him go, feeling more relieved than anything else. Now, at last, he could go to bed and have his much-needed beauty sleep. Tomorrow would be a new day, back to normal in the yard, and he would get the attention he deserved. And so he turned and walked through his door with as much haughtiness as he could muster, slamming the door firmly shut behind him.

**The End**


End file.
